As 2010 nears its end, reflection mode has kicked in and I’m realizing what an unbelievable year it’s truly been. If anyone were to tell you that CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE, INTEGRITY, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, and CHARLES MANSON would not only have records on the same label, but all in the same year, it’s not very likely that you could envision any scenario where that were possible. And yet that somehow happened. CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE‘s S/T (aka The Stereo Record) was unearthed and remastered, INTEGRITY gave us two of the greatest songs the band has ever written, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS brought their latest studio record over here (our first certified gold record!), and we somehow locked down four previously unheard CHARLES MANSON records for release.

This was all on top of a band new THIS WILL DESTROY YOU pic disc, a YEARS double album, MADE OUT OF BABIES‘ The Ruiner finally seeing LP treatment, GHASTLY CITY SLEEP‘s debut full length Moondrifts, MEDITATIVE SECT‘s Laceration Points LP, a letterpress/reissue edition of FORENSICS‘ Things to Do… LP, FORENSICSYou Don’t Have to Win, But You Have to Fight, and represses galore.

Basically, a lot of shit went down and I fully understand if it was tough to keep up with everything. As a means to show appreciation and perhaps even make sure that nothing slipped through the cracks in your search for new music, I stayed in (this is not a new phenomenon) and put together a podcast (this is a new phenomenon) featuring about 80 minutes of jams and commentary. You can pull it down from:

The show features plenty of highlights from 2010, some crucial 2009 stuff you may have missed, and a look ahead at 2011. Bands featured: DISAPPEARER, CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, CHARLES MANSON, INTEGRITY, FORENSICS, DOOMRIDERS, YEARS, GHASTLY CITY SLEEP, MEDITATIVE SECT, GOLDEN CITY, A CITY SAFE FROM SEA, JESUIT, SSORC, THIS WILL DESTROY YOU, and MADE OUT OF BABIES.

Here are a couple of photos of the black and blue copies that comprise the first pressing of THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTSWhen the World Comes Down LP. These guys have been good friends of the label for at least 5 years now, so it’s a treat being able to help them out with their latest full length.

In all honesty, the dudes in this band are insanely hands-on with everything they take on and I’d even go so far as to say that they might be more in touch with the DIY spirit and work ethic than a good number of bands I’ve worked with over the the course of the label. I feel it’s a huge reason why they’ve managed to prove themselves as much more than a one-hit wonder out in the mainstream. If you have a soft spot for well-crafted, hook-laden rock/pop, give this one a shot.

This LP comes in a nice, stark gatefold with matte finish. Complete lyrics, complete liner notes, and a bonus dust sleeve featuring photos taken by the band themselves during the recording process of the album. Purchase it in the webstore here.